


Bread Wars

by rebelGG



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Adventure, Bread, Comedy, F/F, Humor, Lighthearted, Lovehate, Mischief, Shenanigans, crackish, hyunwon, mischievous, slightcrack, why is it so hard to tag hyunjin and gowon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2020-11-08 20:17:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20841404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebelGG/pseuds/rebelGG
Summary: Chaewon finds herself implicated in one of Hyunjin's mischievous bread adventures, leading to a parade of lowkey beef and shade between the two.  Will things change when Chaewon discovers the actual reason behind Hyunjin’s infatuation with bread?





	1. Bread dealings

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go again. I wanted to read Hyunwon but I can't find squat except hundreds of 2jin and Hyewon stories. Underrated ships deserve stories too.
> 
> Chapter 1 - Hyunjin and Chaewon have a bread deal
> 
> Chapter 2 - A small misunderstanding between the pair
> 
> Chapter 3 - The two have a battle of wits and Chaewon comes to a realization
> 
> Chapter 4 - Chaewon discovers the reason behind Hyunjin's infatuation with bread
> 
> Links to my favorite Hyunwon moments:
> 
> LoonaTV 390  
LoonaTV 458  
LoonaTV 461  
Gowon exposes Hyunjin around 46:20 https://www.vlive.tv/video/112504?channelCode=E1F3A7  
Hyunjin shading Gowon https://twitter.com/orrery_nim/status/1177985241241153536  
Hyunjin reacts to Gowon's teasing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJHnOrqrnjs&t=17  
Interview with Hyunjin and Gowon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN1DLb1xdMs  
Gowon guessing Hyunjin's items https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z_0ASR9NEY&t=103s
> 
> Cross posted from my AFF account

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyunjin and Chaewon have a bread deal

For as long as Chaewon can remember, she wanted to be a princess surrounded by pretty things. Things like cute fluffy Kirby plushies, silver tiaras, puffy shoulder dresses and tea parties.

She still remembers the very first time she laid eyes on one of those pretty things, she was in elementary school. It was a beautiful and sunny day, she could feel the warmth of the sun radiating against her skin. Chaewon never had interest in sports day, until her eyes landed on the soft, velvety ribbons of red, white and blue.

She wanted, no needed, to get one. She has never been so sure of anything in her life.

The bad news, she learned, they were prizes only given to those who finish in the top three of any event. Three events in and Chaewon learned she was ill-suited to any kind of physical activity. She was terrible at sports and it was a miracle to not trip or finish dead last in whatever she participated in.

She watched in awe as one of her friends waved it back and forth right in front of her, close enough to see the texture and the glitter of the ribbon. She imagined what it was like to own one. It lasted for all of one second as the so call friend pretended to let her hold it before snatching it back.

"Such a tease!" She couldn't help but bite her teeth and give a fake smile, ever so slightly crooked to one side.

Chaewon knew she could never obtain one using proper means, but what she lacked physically, she made up for in ingenuity. There must be other means to acquire one. And that opportunity came to her at lunch time.

A sudden burst of laughter was what attracted Chaewon's attention; it came from the picnic table next to her. At the table six girls were seated with five sandwiches. The ones with food took turns throwing off bits of their bread on the table, toying with the one who forgot lunch.

That girl reminded her of Puss in Boots. Why? It may have something to do with the way her large round eyes darted around, watching intently at every move. Or how quickly her hands moved to snatch any bits that fell. The speed and manner in which she moved made it comical, almost like a cat trying to catch a mouse.

Chaewon was fixated on that silly game of cat and mouse for a while until she spotted the parade of ribbons on the girl's shirt. Her eyes grew wide. That girl must have swept the competition, with half a day left to go.

By the way they denied sharing the food Chaewon figured they were probably rivals. After a while, the girl walked away to a tree nearby with a look of defeat, resigned to fill her empty stomach with water.

This was her chance. She never finished her lunch anyhow, which may or may not have contributed to her tininess. Chaewon unpacked her brown bag to reveal a rye bread sandwich and some crunchy gold fish snacks.

She walked over to the tree where the cat like girl sat, to make an offer "Hey, cheer up, it's summer and the leaves are green. Interested in a trade?"

She waved the rye sandwich in front of the taller girl, who gulped, imaging how it would taste "And what could I possibly offer you?"

Chaewon pointed at the myriad of ribbons on the girl's shirt, five first place and one third.

"I want one of your ribbons." she got straight to the point. There was no need to be coy.

The other had a curious yet fascinated look on her face at the mention of ribbons. That girl must have wondered why anyone would want someone else's ribbons. Realization hits her and she lets out an "ah" when she saw Chaewon's shirt was a blank slate.

Chaewon patiently waited as the other went through a brief struggle. As if her head was saying no, she earned those, but the growling of the stomach begged to differ. At some point desperation seemed to overpower her. After all, there were more events for the rest of the afternoon. With the energy from the bread, she could definitely win more than one.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I never finish my food anyways. It’s just bread.”

"The backside has my initials though."

"That's fine."

"Deal!" The taller girl couldn't resist anymore. She started removing the pin from her third place ribbon.

Chaewon shook her finger "Uh-uh. First place or the deal is off."

The other looked at her in surprise, probably not expecting someone as tiny as Chaewon to reel and deal like a pro "Fine." she said before handing over one of her first place ribbons in exchange for the sandwich.

“Whoa, it’s so pretty!” Chaewon exclaimed as she inspected the ribbon, amazed at how softly it flowed on her hands. It was everything she imagined and more; the most amazing thing Chaewon had ever got her hands on.

It was at that point Chaewon learned the true value of economics, or what she liked to call bread-o-nomics.

Chaewon was in her best mood all day; she smiled, slightly crooked to one side as she watched the girl stuffed herself, eating hungrily, praising loudly it as if she hadn't eaten in a week and it was the most delicious thing in the world.

The rest of the afternoon went as Chaewon expected. She came back empty handed, but it didn't matter because she got what she wanted. Her one and only ribbon.

~~~

Fast forward to high school, Chaewon was still tiny and her world was as dangerous as ever. She knew the moment her eyes landed on Hyunjin that she was nothing but trouble. And she was right. Nothing was more dangerous than Kim Hyunjin.

They were the same age and around the same level in terms of intellect. Ok, she wasn't the brightest apple in the class or the entire grade for that matter but at least she wasn't last.

Hyunjin also joined their ranks near the bottom, probably because she prioritized basketball games and soccer practices rather than classes and homework.

Things were fine until one day Hyunjin turned around to strike up a conversation with her after math class.

"I heard you like pretty things. Want to see something pretty?" was all it took for Hyunjin to get her attention

There was a glint in Hyunjin's eyes and she had a bad feeling about it, but curiosity got the better of Chaewon "Why not?"

"All you have to do is keep watch while I set things up."

It sounded simple enough, which is why Chaewon agreed. They walked for a while until Hyunjin stopped on the school's large grassy field and took out a bunch of firecrackers from her backpack.

"Wait. What are you doing?" Chaewon was slightly anxious at the current predicament she found herself in

"What do you think?"

It was a rhetorical question, designed to answer without actually answering.

"This is a bad idea..." Chaewon tried to convince her to no avail. She nervously looked left and right, palm sweating, her heart beating abnormally fast. It must have been the adrenaline rush from the possibility of getting caught.

For what felt like the longest three minutes of her life she watched Hyunjin arrange the pyrotechnics in a specific pattern before igniting it.

Not long after, a loud bang could be heard as the fireworks lit up the sky. They were mesmerized by the colors and shapes, so much they didn't notice the grounds keeper coming after them. "Hey! You two! Stop it!"

"Run for your life!" was all Hyunjin yelled before she made a mad dash in some direction away from the adult. Unless she wanted to get detention, Chaewon had no choice but to follow.

They ran for miles and miles until the coast was clear. Chaewon followed Hyunjin until she stopped at the playground of a nearby park, where a bunch of her friends were enjoying the show. Hyunjin laughed when Chaewon finally made her way there, panting and gasping for air.

"Not bad tiny one. I'm impressed you made it."

It was a while before the huffing and puffing stopped and Chaewon felt like she could live again.

"You... What is wrong with you?"

Ignoring her, Hyunjin shrugged her shoulders while she tried to stuff an entire croissant in her mouth, in front of everyone no less. Who in their right minds would do that? Pastries were meant to be nibbled and chewed on.

Hyunjin noticed Chaewon staring and proceeded to swallow it whole, followed by a victory smile and thumbs up.

And that's when it hit her "You risked our necks... for bread?" Chaewon was dumbfounded.

"Not just any bread, it’s a chocolate croissant!" Hyunjin came to the pastry's defense.

She didn't know what overcame her. Despite being implicated in the mischievous operation, Chaewon was surprised at herself for not feeling hatred towards the bread loving one. Maybe it had something to with Hyunjin's smile, which was genuine and... pretty.

~~~

While Chaewon didn't hate it, it was an experience she never wanted to repeat again. She knew at that point whenever she needs to be careful whenever she is around Hyunjin.

People will leave you alone if they think you are strong or crazy. Since she was clearly not strong, it only makes sense to go for the latter.

She pulled out her phone to search the internet. She loved the internet, where the solution to all of life's problems can be found at your finger tips.

How to make someone think you are crazy?

Gang signs, funny faces, crazy dance

She could learn that. To which Chaewon spent a few hours practice moving her eyebrows in weird ways to look intimidating. With a bit of sass and crunchiness of course.

When class was over, the one sitting in front turned around to call her with a familiar voice "Want to see something pretty?"

As she suspected, Hyunjin developed a new found interest in her after their little adventure.

"No thank you." Chaewon wasn't going to fall for it again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Hoping Hyunjin would leave her alone, she tried to use what she picked up, raising an eyebrow while throwing out a gang sign.

Only it didn't have the effect she wanted, her gestures only caused laughter.

Sigh, she needed more practice. It was time for plan B. Ever since the last ordeal, she had intel on Hyunjin and what made her tick... Bread.

"Let's make a deal." Chaewon proposed an arrangement where Hyunjin would spare her from her glorious missions and misadventures, in exchange for one of those golden fluffy pastries every once in a while.

"Deal!" It was too tempting for Hyunjin to resist.

In order not to make it too suspicious, they agreed to use a secret code message to indicate when the bread exchange would go down. It needed to be clear but not obvious, something they can inject into a normal conversation even when others are around.

It was summer time and Chaewon was reminded of the first time she made a similar trade "In the summer, the leaves are green."

Thanks to that ingenious deal, the rest of the school year went on without further incidents. Until eventually Chaewon decided to drop out of school to pursue her dream of being in a girl group.

She saw Oh My Girl on TV and thought she could do that too. It certainly seemed more fun than burying herself in piles of books. While it wasn't easy, she was passionate about it.

She joined a dance group to perfect her moves and auditioned for countless companies before BBC accepted her as a trainee. Chaewon was ecstatic that she made it, until she spotted someone familiar in the group of trainees

Kim Hyunjin


	2. Lowkey beef

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small misunderstanding between the pair

Naturally Hyunjin was in prankster mode. She can't help herself; she was drawn to things in their natural state of disarray and needed a little fun each day.

At art class, an older student by the name of Haseul drew 12 animals on a whiteboard before proceeding to explain each one. Something was off; it was too neat, too structured, too boring. Where was the fun in that? Feeling the urge to stir the pot, Hyunjin couldn't help but take a few swipes at it, scratching it up ever so slightly to add what she called "detailing".

By mid afternoon, Hyunjin's boredom index has gone up to alarming levels. Tapping her fingers one at a time, she desperately searched for something, anything. That's when her friends dared her to light up firecrackers in exchange for bread. She was totally up for the task, only it wasn't a one-girl job.

Looking around, she spotted a small girl holding a tea cup with a raised pinky. Hyunjin figured _tiny princess _was into pretty things and the promise of one was enough to recruit her as Hyunjin's sidekick for the bread-tastic mission.

Aside from a minor hiccup, the operation completed and she was rewarded with the sweet, sweet taste of victory. She was thankful and actually wanted give her sidekick something pretty for helping her get that bread.

Actually there was more to it, she saw potential in Chaewon's performance. For the very first time in her life, Hyunjin was actually looking forward to Math class to propose a more permanent partnership between the two.

"Want to see something pretty?" Hyunjin initiated the conversation as her hand reached onto the backpack, about to bring the item out. It was a butterfly sticker she thought suited Chaewon. But all movements ceased when the other threw out a gang sign; almost as if she was trying to psych her out. Before she could get another word in, tiny princess declined the offer and proposed a bread deal instead.

Hyunjin was surprised by the turn of events and a strange feeling that she wasn't accustomed to, disappointment.

_That was odd. Since when did she care enough to be disappointed?_

No matter what, bread was not something she could refuse. Hyunjin figured it wasn't a complete loss as it gave her an opportunity to regularly meet up and share something special with the smaller girl.

Similar to the other times she found herself in weird situations, Hyunjin went along with it for a kick. It was quite enjoyable until Chaewon dropped out and disappeared all of a sudden.

Too bad, Hyunjin thought. She was starting to enjoy her interactions with the tiny one and it not only because of bread.

~~~

Hyunjin was known to be athletic. At one point there were even a ridiculous rumor saying she could run 100 meters in 8 seconds. She was fast, but not world record fast. Since it's already circulated, she might as well play along with it, because clarifying it would have been too bothersome and she'd miss their bewildered expressions.

That is why she always thought she'd end up being a professional athlete on the national team, and was surprised to find herself at BBC.

"I don't want to go alone. All you have to do is dance. I'll give you bread!" the last part of her best friend's plead was what caused her to cave

Once again, Hyunjin found herself doing odd things to fulfill her carb-loading needs.

In the beginning she thought of it as another bread adventure, only to find herself enjoying the competitive aspect of debuting. Hyunjin figured all the bread around the world would be within her reach if she became a global superstar. Before she knew, what was supposed to be a weeklong mission turned to a year of training.

Most of the other trainees were pleasant enough, mostly focused on the training and too serious for her liking. Hyunjin had to make her own fun, messing with her best friend. Which mostly consist of saying and doing the opposite of what the other wanted and teasingly imitate her actions. But alas, she could only tease Heejin so many times until it got repetitive.

For once, she wanted something different, interesting and new.

Right on cue, a familiar tiny figure walked down the stairs leading to the BBC basement and into her life again. Just as sudden as Chaewon left, she reappeared. It was at that point Hyunjin knew in her heart that things were going to get a whole lot more interesting.

Ah, _tiny princess_. How could Hyunjin forget her? Let's just say the girl left a lasting impression, a good one.

What was so interesting about her? Well for one, she offered bread. But it was the manner in which the deal was struck that stood out. It reminded her of a special someone from elementary school.  


Beneath her doll like exterior, the way she mocked and shaded the others ever so slightly intrigued Hyunjin. It was like a glimpse of her true personality behind the princess facade, a bubble on the verge of popping. She wanted to get to know that side of Chaewon; Hyunjin had a feeling that, together, they could turn this place upside down.

Hyunjin must have been staring when their eyes met. She could tell the tiny girl was surprised to see her in this setting, and pretended they didn't know each other instead of acknowledging her presence.

_How could she? Didn't they share something special?_

It was exactly because Chaewon refused to pay attention to her that made Hyunjin want Chaewon’s attention even more. She found herself intentionally do things... weird things even by her standards.

"You know the new girl?" her best friend inquired upon noticing her stare

"She sat behind me in Math class. Her name is Chaewon, uh Kim Chaewon" Hyunjin made one up since didn't exactly remember her full name. Given the lack of diversity in Korean last names, there was an extremely high chance of being correct and that was good enough for her. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?

This marked the beginning of how the misinformation spread out of control like wild fires. First it was her best friend who told the trainees next to them, followed by someone in that group relaying the info to the next until it made its rounds around BBC's dungeon. In a matter of minutes, it was cemented into everyone's minds and all were convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the new girl was none other than Kim Chaewon.

An unsuspecting trainee, known for her positive sunshine like personality, made her way over to where tiny girl was, extending her hand with the brightest smile "Hey Kim Chaewon, want to be friends?"

Hyunjin watched in amusement at Chaewon's slow and confused response to the involuntary name change. She had one eyebrow raised slightly and a _'what did you just call me'_ expression on her face.

It sounded kind of like Chaewon was being called, but the last time she checked that wasn't her name. It didn't seem like a mistake because _smiley face_ was looking directly at her.

As Hyunjin expected, Chaewon's sassy side came out "Who are you calling Kim Chaewon?"

"You" innocent Yerim was confused at the response, her smile fading at the thought the other might not want to be friends

Tiny girl made sure to correct her "The name is PARK, Park Chaewon." with emphasis on P A R K

"But... Heejin told me that Hyunjin told her your last name is Kim." the bubbly girl blurted out

Well, Hyunjin certainly got Chaewon's attention now as the other looked in her direction and shot her an _'I'm going to get you back for this someday' _type of look, to which Hyunjin put her hands up to feign innocence.

Turning back, Chaewon stated plainly to the cheerful girl "No it's not. You'd think I'd know my own name better than anyone else."

"Oh, sorry. We can still be friends can't we?" Yerim pleaded

"Sure" it wasn't _smiley's _fault and Chaewon could use a friend

And that’s how the confusion around her name all started. Little did she know that even a year into their debut, the members would still mistakenly call her Kim Chaewon or Kim Gowon sometimes. Every time that happens, Hyunjin tried, but always failed to hide a snicker. Which would earn her a glare of slight annoyance in her direction.

But of course tiny princess wasn't the only one who heard it. Jinsol, who always stood next to her, was aware of what was going on. However, the blonde just shook her head with a smile, let her be and have her little harmless fun.

This was exactly why Hyunjin had a soft spot for Jinsol. And in return, she would go along with the odd things Jinsol wanted whether it was a pout or strange heart gestures.

~~~

A lot of things Hyunjin did was perceived as odd by the members, however, there was actually a reason behind it. Most of the time, it was done to evoke a response. Out of everyone, she found Chaewon's reaction the most amusing. She expected a small crackle from their interactions and to her surprise, what she got was fireworks.

So when BBC assigned a cat as her representative animal, Hyunjin accepted it in name only to proceed with a barking phase. It may have something to do with her noticing a certain princess looking sad. Thanks to Yerim's inability to keep secrets, Hyunjin discovered it was because Chaewon missed her dog, Bbomi.

The sight tugged at Hyunjin's heart for some reason and made her want to comfort the other. If only she didn't have a reputation to uphold. After all, it wasn't like she can just go up to _tiny princess_, hug her, say she missed her own dog too and everything is going to be OK.

That would be too... normal, and normal was the last thing that Hyunjin wanted to be associated with; too much time was spent building her image to be thrown away like this. Besides, given their history, Chaewon probably wouldn’t let her anywhere close without doubting her true intentions.

Being an actual dog owner herself, Hyunjin had already spent countless hours perfecting her barking imitations and she was very proud of it. She could tell Chaewon was amused and somewhat comforted by her barking, so she continued to bark anywhere and everywhere, even on broadcasts.

Her best friend acknowledged her skill as well, saying she was good at a lot of useless things. It wasn’t useless to Hyunjin, because it made a certain princess smile. That in itself made the time she invested worthwhile. If it was considered 'useless' to bring someone a little bit of joy, then she’d be happy to keep doing these 'useless' things.

Everyone bought it, thinking she was just weird, except for Jinsol. The blonde was the only one who took the time to look beyond what is on the surface. It felt like she understood the meaning behind those barks and gave Hyunjin heart eyes and a smile.

"What?" Hyunjin couldn't help but react to the prolonged gaze

"It's cute." clearly the blonde saw through her

Slighly embarrassed, Hyunjin's natural reaction was to deflect "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Sure you don't." Jinsol leaned in and wrapped her arms around Hyunjin, silently affirming her actions

The unexpected contact brought a smile to Hyunjin face. To be understood without saying a thing, it was nice for a change. And to a certain extent, Hyunjin had a feeling _tiny princess _appreciated the gesture as well, because Chaewon seemed less guarded around her after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by a video where Gowon said everyone calls her Kim Gowon because of Hyunjin. It was from a vlive.


	3. Don't be nervous, it's your loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two have a battle of wits and Chaewon comes to a realization

When it came to words and wit, Chaewon was second to none. Her tiny unassuming demeanor may have made her look like an easy target. However, they would be proven wrong by the end of a simple conversation, and the look of stunned silence once the realized they've underestimate was her reward.

While anyone can throw shade, Chaewon preferred more delicate and subtle touches and attempts than outright mockery. It was her style to wrap it in nice little package and deliver it with the prettiest voice she could muster. After all, she was a princess and princesses were elegant and graceful.

In contrast, her smiling friend Yerim was a clumsy ball of excitement, and sadly for the flowers, her inability to contain it was the cause of their demise.

"What happened here?" they were asked as they re-entered the crime scene of flowery mess

Chaewon wasn't the type who'd stay quiet "Oh, I'm feeling like I saw someone shaking flowers like this..." imitating how the other shook the bundle just a moment ago

"Shhh" Yerim motioned to keep it under wraps

"Actually, I don't know who did it~" right next to the culprit who caused the bits and stems to fall, Chaewon gave her finest 'I don't know but it’s obviously her'

The sunshine like girl could only laugh in embarrassment at being blatantly ousted in front of LoonaTV.

Laughter and mild annoyance were the typical response to her teasing, because none of the members had an answer for her antics. Well, maybe except for one tall girl who kept revolving around her. Their little banter surprising bought them closer together in the strangest of ways.

Slowly but surely, they bonded over their mutual love of teasing _the other ten_ and any unsuspecting soul who happened to cross paths with the two.

There was that time she imitated Heejin's half-hearted cheer "Chuu unnie, fighting~", only to earned her a high five from Hyunjin and her hands that Chaewon swear were at least twice the size of hers.

So when she found herself next to the tall one waiting for their turn to take a mug shot for their debut album, it was time to do what they did best.

"We're not close, how can we take a natural selfie?" Chaewon made the first move, knowing this was going to end up in the highlight reel of LoonaTV

"Sheeesh!" Hyunjin gestured her to shush in front of the camera. She could tell the other was also enjoying this a bit too much as both of them can't hold back their laughter, wondering how long it'll take for the hapless cameraman to realize he was the target of their trickery.

Continuing the momentum, Hyunjin initiated a 'friendship game', a very physical game involving hand clashes. Chaewon instinctively called for her savior 'Yves unnieeee~" to make it look like a tiny butterfly was being chased by a gigantic cat, swiping its large paws at the fluttering wings.

As expected, the game was a tad on the aggressive side and the slapping sounds attested to the fierceness. But this was just for show; if the other wanted to run her over, Chaewon knew she wouldn’t stand a chance.

The two of them were unstoppable as Hyunjin continued the charade, suggesting they were close, to which Chaewon immediately refuted "No! We're not close!” This earned a fake frown from the other and ended in laughter for all.

Satisfied at successfully pulling off another show on the oblivious cameraman, they naturally had their arms around each other as they basked in the glory of the triumph.

Chaewon was so small next to Hyunjin, her tiny figure fitting into the taller one, perfectly wrapped in Hyunjin's arms. It felt warm, kind of like snuggling next to a cat, without the hassle of dealing with the leftover fur.

At the sight of this, her best friend smiled and shook her head to state the obvious “They look way too close.”

Perhaps_ triangle lip_ was right and they were starting to get a bit close, but Chaewon didn't mind it at all. As time went on and the two of them spent more time together, they somehow managed to become awkward, savage and caring at the same time.

Well, she got to say Chaewon wasn't too different than the cat like one, only her style was different. Chaewon had a thing with random dances while Hyunjin likes to do, what could only be described as weird things that no one in their right minds would do.

Things like catching a stash of paper money splashing from a machine with the help of her very large hands or the way Hyunjin played around with candy. Instead of eating like any other normal human being, she threw them into mid air, opened her mouth as wide as possible to catch the piece of jelly.

Upon succeeding, she flashed another one of her signature victory smile along with her thumbs up.

Chaewon's lips parted at the sight. It was the same smile from that time, the same one that she caught herself thinking about sometimes.

It was still as pretty as ever. There was a certain aurora around Hyunjin, the way her hair flowed down, elegantly and effortlessly beautiful. Her angel-like smile was so blindingly bright and oh so pretty.

_What is wrong with me? Snap out of it_

Before she knew, promotions were over and BBC decided to host Loona Studio. Live singing they said.

It was only natural for Chaewon to feel a bit nervous while getting ready for the show, her hands trembled to reveal her inner thoughts "So nervous!!!"

"I'll cheer you up as a friend!" she uncharacteristically left a window of opportunity, which Hyunjin immediately picked up on

Chaewon, surprised and confused at the words spoken, scratched her head slightly while letting out a nervous laugh. When the taller one made it next to her, Chaewon put her hand over the other's shoulder, bracing herself for another round of their somewhat competitive banter

"Suddenly? Since when did you do something like this for me?"

A mischievous smile came out of the other "If you get nervous, it's your loss!"

Chaewon didn't expect this. It wasn't very often that she was at a loss for words and she could only respond with a mild "Okay" as she looked at the other blankly

"Go ahead and show them what you got!" Hyunjin almost finished that sentence without laughing, _almost_.

On the surface it sounded like she was being teased, there was something else. Almost like Hyunjin was offering to support her, telling her to go out there confidently and don't get nervous. Only to be wrapped in a mischievous outer layer.

Half stunned and half in disbelief Chaewon let go and turned towards the other, knowing that she lost that battle of wits. But there was more, it almost felt like the other wanted to cheer her up but didn't want to show that she cared.

It was yet another classic moment that summed up their relationship, whatever it was. She tried to ignore this confusing emotion, thinking it'll go away. Except it didn't and she kept replaying the scenario in her head.

She may have lost the battle, but not the war. So of course, the next chance she gets, Chaewon made a point to return the favor.

"I look like a ghost in this lighting" Hyunjin exclaimed while checking how she looked in the camera

This was the perfect opportunity she has been waiting for and Chaewon wasn't going to let it pass by "Hyunjin ah~"

"Why?"

"Don't be nervous, it’s your loss." using Hyunjin's very own words to get revenge

"Just don't get nervous yourself!" the other knew exactly what she did and they both share another laugh

~~~

As time went by, the intensity and frequency of their exchanges increased, both trying to beat each other at their own game. Without knowing Chaewon became increasing consumed with her battle of wits with Hyunjin, so much that she didn't pay much attention to anything or anyone else around her.

When she finally calmed down and her thoughts are no longer consumed by their interactions, she noticed the existence of someone besides Hyunjin, namely her best friend. And something was off.

"What's wrong?" she tried to probe

She was only greeted by the awkward silence crickety sound

_Great. _Chaewon must have done something. She thinks back, still not knowing what she did. The only thing she could remember was her back and forth with Hyunjin.

Days passed by with her best friend still mad at her for reasons unknown. _Seriously, why does everything have to be so complicated? She wasn't a mind reader, how was she supposed to know? _

One night, when the mood was better and the other seemed less angry than any other day, they played a game of Mario Kart where she intentionally let her best friend win. When Hyejoo was feeling good, she took that chance.

Hoping a simple apology was enough Chaewon said "I'm sorry"

"For what?" she finally got the other to respond

Chaewon was tired of this "I don't know. Whatever I did, I didn't mean it."

"Don't apologize if you don't mean it." the other's voice was colder than usual

"I mean it."

"You still don't know, do you?" this clearly wasn't working, time to change tactics

"I would if you told me... instead of making me guess"

Hyejoo let out a sigh before giving her a hint "LoonaTV 461"

"What kind of a hint is that? I need answers, not more puzzles" _ she ain't Sherlock and this wasn't elementary by any means._

Knowing she wouldn't get anymore out of the other, Chaewon resigned to watch that episode of LoonaTV on the crappy tablet. As it played, all she could think about was how smug Hyunjin looked and how satisfying it was to finally win one round over the other. That look of surprise from the tall one was priceless.

Her finger automatically moved to hit the 'like' button. In fact, she was about to save it to the favorites until she remembered why she was watching it in the first place.

_Wait a minute. Hyejoo isn't one to help her relive her glory. That's not why her best friend told her to watch this._

She replayed the video, focusing on Hyejoo this time.

"Assa!" She found the root of the issue. It was clear from the way Hyejoo pouted that she felt ignored.

She rushed over to Hyejoo "I'm not ignoring you. I just need to be extra careful around Hyunjin!"

Chaewon held onto Hyejoo's arm, hoping she would understand "We're in the middle of some kind of bread war here and I can't let my guard down. Not for a single second. Do you understand?"

"No, I don't." Hyejoo removed her hand "Why do you care? Hyunjin is just being Hyunjin."

"I don't care about her."

"Sure doesn't seem like it. Lately, all you talk about is Hyunjin this, Hyunjin that."

"That's not true..." _Was it?_ Chaewon's voice became small as realization hits her

"Whenever Hyunjin is around, it's like I'm invisible. Whenever she is not around, she is all you talk about."

Well Hyejoo is not wrong. At that moment Chaewon could no longer deny it and the other noticed the lack of attempt to counter

"Hyunjin got your tongue?"

Chaewon shot her a stare, knowing the other was right. But it didn't make her feel any better.

"You are clearly confused. We should take a timeout until you figure things out."

Chaewon couldn't even make an excuse to stop the other from leaving. Perhaps it was because some part of her knew deep down that Hyejoo was right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The LoonaTVs referenced in this chapter (390, 458, 461) are the reasons I wanted to read Hyunwon. They seem like they're having the time of their life teasing each other.


	4. Buttercat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaewon discovers the reason behind Hyunjin's infatuation with bread

Chaewon looked out the window. A tiny butterfly flapped its delicate wings, gracefully propelling itself around the garden until it landed softly on a flower pedal.

A gust of wind blew, knocking it off into the air next to a giant cat that strolled into view. Daringly, the butterfly hovered in a circle close to the feline, teasing with its aerobatic dance.

The gigantic cat followed its movements intently, mesmerized by the fluid movements and fluttering wings. Without warning, its paws reached out to take a few swipes; everything became chaotic as the butterfly scrambled to get away while the cat chased after it.

This was the nature of her relationship with Hyunjin.

While it was true she was preoccupied, it was always about their low-key beef. Why would Hyejoo suggest they were more than close friends? Sure, she found Hyunjin amusing and amazing at times. Her funny faces and expressions were fun and an absolute delight to watch. Especially that cross eyed puppy imitation, it was top notch, pure comedic gold.

Hyunjin challenged her to bring her A game, to be the very best and give as good she gets. Their exchanges, though sporadic, were tense and entertaining.

Right next to Hyunjin's portrait of her, she gave a fake smile, ever so slightly crooked to the right. Hyunjin'd say it looks exactly the same and she'd retort back saying it looked nothing like her and that it was rock bottom.

  
There were times she saw a mix of mischievous glint and sparkle in Hyunjin's large round eyes. She always ended up on the wrong end of everything from friendship games to birthday cakes.

"Gowon ah~" Hyunjin would say while trying to smear cream on her face. She'd resist only for it to land on her hair instead and in return she'd shout "Kim Hyunjin!"

As Hyunjin's prime target she expected to be made fun of when they're asked to describe each other only to have Hyunjin say nice things about her.

_What was this? Why was she getting all emotional?_

Ok, maybe she enjoyed their little bread war or whatever it was, but that didn't mean anything more. Did it? Chaewon was restless at the revelation, trying to convince herself it was impossible, that it was another one of Hyunjin's tricks and this feeling will go away.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Chaewon was in for a surprise the next morning as she learned about the lift and dolphin dive combo that was supposed to be the highlight of their latest choreography.

"Just saying, there are plenty of candidates for this bone breaking move."

"Your animal is a butterfly. This is your song!"

"Don't get me wrong, I'd like nothing better than to step on _bunny teeth _and _triangle lips_" her remarks earned a few glares from the two "Still, this is a bit much no?"

Unfortunately for her, the decision was final and every time she attempted the lift Chaewon shook and screamed "ahhh" like an angry bird.

As if Hyunjin could tell the fear and disbelief that was racing through in her mind, she turned around to offer "If you fall, I'll be your cushion!" giving her a reassuring smile and the most distracting hair flip.

It was a rather bizarre thing to hear, yet quite comforting at the same time. And just like that her mind shifted focus, forgetting the fear momentarily to muster enough courage to try again.

Well, miracles don't happen on the first try or even after ten tries. She kept making mistakes, legs wobbling as she is lifted up, her head almost hitting the low ceiling. Chaewon knew something was wrong, very wrong the moment she let go. She shut her eyes, expecting the worst. Instead of hitting the hard floor, she landed on top of something warm.

"I got you!" it was a familiar smoothing voice. When she finally opened her eyes she found herself on top of Hyunjin, whose long arms held onto her tightly, large cat like eyes looking at her with concern.

Time seemed to have stopped as they held onto each other; neither of them tried to push each off or dared to move an inch. In contrast to their usual rough exchanges, the tender embrace left a weird sensation, which Chaewon brushed off as the adrenaline rush from the dramatic experience despite feeling the loud pound of abnormally fast heartbeats.

_Is this a moment? It couldn't be! We're talking about Hyunjin here, the one who tricked her into that bread mission. _

The other wasn't moving or saying anything either, as if she had her breath taken away. Hyunjin simply stared at her from below, somewhat lost in thought, also confused and struggling with her own emotions.

"Are you ok?" Hyunjin snapped out of the trance to break the silence

With the brunt of the impact absorbed by her landing cushion, Chaewon barely got a scratch. "I... I-I'm fine" she figured the stuttering was from the lack of teasing. Actually, why was Hyunjin asking if she's fine? Based on their current position, it was a question she should be asking "You?"

Hyunjin, as if not believing her, detached them only to spin her around and confirm for herself. Only when the tall one was satisfied with the inspection did she responded back "Never better. By the way, you're heavier than you look."

By now, Chaewon knew the other well enough to know it was an attempt to divert her attention elsewhere, to hide something. And Chaewon wanted to find what it was.

Someone had the common sense to let them take a break after the accident and Chaewon couldn't take her eyes off Hyunjin. She could tell something was wrong as she watched Hyunjin winced slightly before quietly excusing herself.

Hyunjin didn't make it back to the rest of the practice; they were told she needed to rest her ankle. It left a hole in Chaewon; she couldn't focus, her mind lingering on the taller girl. She figured it was guilt that the other got hurt instead of her.

On the outside, Hyunjin seemed carefree and playful with her 4 dimensional personality. It made you think she didn't take anything seriously when she actually cared. So was their relationship. Hyunjin made her feel a strange mix of emotions: awkwardness, savageness and happiness when they were around each other. But when she was gone, it felt... empty.

Hyunjin was someone in her life that she claimed to dislike with the constant teasing. When she was gone, Chaewon realize that it really wasn't so bad. At least there was something to look forward to and it made hard days bearable.

Chaewon looked out the garden again. In the cat's absence, the butterfly was free to roam peacefully at its own leisurely pace. It should be enjoying this moment of peace and quiet, except there was a problem. It was too picture perfect and she couldn’t help but think it was incomplete, that something was missing.

It was too... boring? The joy and happiness from the chase was gone and she is only left with an empty feeling on the inside.

~~~

With bandages wrapped around her ankles, Hyunjin had a hard time moving about. This was why she enlisted the help of her best friend, who turned out to be clumsier than she remembered.

"Oww, don't touch it!" Hyunjin exclaimed as Heejin accidentally bumped into her while trying to help her.

"Why'd you pretend to be a hero when you can't even take care of yourself?"

"Have you seen how tiny she is? It would've been a lot worst if I wasn't there."

While Hyunjin was glad tiny was ok, she sulked, sadden by the fact that she was in no condition to continue her morning bakery routine. It's only been a day and she already missed the aroma of freshly baked bread, the endless sight of pastries of all shapes, size and filling.

Just when Hyunjin was about to give up on having bread for breakfast tiny princess showed up, hiding something behind her back as she approached.

"For being my cushion" Chaewon waved the rye sandwich in front of Hyunjin, and the curves of her lips went up at the sight of the most precious thing in the world.

Chaewon kept her company as Hyunjin munched on the bread, eating hungrily, praising loudly. There was a slightly awkward atmosphere as they both sensed something had changed between them.

When they were around each other, they mostly messed around without any deep, meaningful conversations. Common ground was needed and talking about the day they both trolled Heejin brought them closer.

They kept this routine for a week where Chaewon would bring freshly baked bread to her in the morning and they'd talk about anything and everything. Hyunjin learned Chaewon thought it'd be fun to have a cat and had a collection of pretty things she'd accumulated over the years.

One morning, Chaewon took out a handmade box while Hyunjin munched on the bread. Heejin joined them, attracted by the pretty items.

"Is that a sports day ribbon? Wow! How did you get first place?"

"It's so pretty, isn't it?" her smug face came out "First for being an expert at negotiations."

She touched the ribbon. It was the same velvety texture from her memories "Want to feel that? It's so soft."

Heejin took the ribbon, admiring the softness before flipping it around to find the scribble of a few letters

"What is this? K. H. J."

Upon hearing this Hyunjin dropped the half-eaten bread. At this point major alarms were going off because bread was not something she dropped.

You see, Hyunjin marked her initials on every single one of her ribbons. This can only mean one thing; the person who made that bread deal with her, the one who made her fall head over heels and do all those things in the name of bread was none other than tiny princess.

It was an unreal moment to find the one she had been searching for all this time was so close to her all along.

"In the summer, the leaves are green." she managed to mutter. It was the same coded message they used back in the old days to refer to the bread exchange, meant for a certain dainty princess.

Unaware of the true meaning behind the message, Heejin stated "Of course it is, silly."

The only person who understood exactly what that meant was Chaewon, whose hazel eyes are starting to fill with emotions beyond her control.

"It was you. Wasn't it?" both of them locked eyes, ignoring Heejin's confusion to this situation

The answer was evident by the silence and the look in the other's eyes. That was all the confirmation she needed. She knew exactly what that meant, they both knew.

As if a switch got flipped in Chaewon's head, everything made sense now. Why Hyunjin was obsessed with bread and all the things she did to get some. It was... because of her!

Chaewon's fondness and endless pursuit of pretty things inadvertently turned Hyunjin into a bread-a-holic. That time she was implicated in Hyunjin's bread operations, it was indirect causation. Looking back, the barking was to comfort her, "don't be nervous" was telling her to be confident and the weird acts were to make her laugh. She misunderstood Hyunjin all this time.

At that moment, Chaewon looked into those brown orbs and saw how her actions have completely altered the life of another human being.

Don't get her wrong, there was a certain attraction to wielding that kind of power. It was just too much to process at that moment and she didn't know what to make of it. She needed time and space to sort out the emotions and re-evaluate her life choices.

~~~

An "aeong" echoed in the practice room.

Heejin put her arms around Chaewon's shoulders "Kim Gowon, I'm about to ask you a VERY important question."

"Ok..." Chaewon was mildly annoyed at being called by the wrong lastname again

"Did you mention anything about cats to Hyunjin?"

Her interest peaked at the somewhat serious tone "I may have. Why?"

"I knew it!" Heejin snapped her fingers

Another "aeong" could be heard at the end of the room.

Whether it was hello, good morning, a question or an answer, it was expressed by different tones of the same word. It became the only word in Hyunjin's vocabulary for the past few days and she swore they hear it at least forty times a day.

"She is driving me nuts, make her stop!" Heejin complained to the blonde

To which Chaewon gave her best eyebrow raise "Why are you asking me?"

"The whole aeong thing, she is doing this for you!"

"Nonsense! This can’t possibly be true." No, that can't be right. For all she knew, it was another trick.

"Don't you know? Hyunjin does this when she likes someone!"

Oops, she did it again. Turns out Hyunjin couldn't get her a cat and instead decided to become the personification of it, literally. Chaewon may have underestimated how much of an impact she had on the taller girl and she couldn't help but smile the more she thought about it.

"Aren't you going to tell her to stop?"

"Oh, please. If she's doing this for me why would l want her to stop?" Chaewon saw no reason to put an end to it. In fact, it was growing on her with every passing second.

Heejin was shocked, not expecting this turn of events.

"Well... if you want Hyunjin to stop make her fall for you then!" Chaewon stated what was on her mind

Right then, they were greeted by aeongie herself

"Aeong~"

With a huge smile on her face Chaewon took Hyunjin's hand into her own "Hyunjin ah~"

Hyunjin looked at her with curious eyes "Aeong?"

"I love you exactly the way you are." Chaewon held on to both of her hands "Promise me you'll never, ever change."

Hyunjin gave her a smile before nodding

"Aeong"

\- FIN -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this Hyunwon fic. Given this story is all about mischief, I thought this was the most appropriate ending. Although I wrote most of it before I posted the first chapter, I ended up throwing a lot of things away in favor of some of the more comedic moments.
> 
> Jokes aside, Hyunjin and Gowon are unique and precious. They have their own chemistry and I can't get that lighthearted teasing vibe from any other pairing. I can only hope their personalities shown through in this fic and I did them justice with my writing.
> 
> Thanks so much for the comments and kudos. This entire fic was purely written for sheer self-indulgence and I had fun imagining the shenanigans that went on between them. I'm glad to see I'm not alone in wanting to read this rare pair and I hope they will have more stories.
> 
> I'm @gg_rebel on twitter


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